Can-opener



(No Model.)

S. A. NICHOLS.

UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

SETIIA. NICHOLS, OF FOWLERVILLE, MICHIGAN.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,560, dated December 8, 1896.

Application filed February 19, 18.96. Serial No. 579,895. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t Hwy concern.-

Beit known that I, SETH A. NICHOLS, of Fowlerville, in the county of Livingston and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in can-openers; and it has for its object, among others, to provide a simple, cheap, easily applied and operated device applicable to cans of different sizes and easily manipulated by any one.

The device embodies jaws or arms to embrace the can, an arm extending from the joint thereof and having pivotally and adjustably connected therewith a lever or arm carrying a knife. But little power is required to operate the knife and open the -can.

The device is not liable to get out of order or to be broken.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

' The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specication, and in whichma Figure l is a view showing the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the pivot of the knife-carrying lever.

Like letters of reference are employed to indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A A designate the two arms or clamps, each practically semicircularin form, having at one end the extension A', which may be provided with a hook or analogousl means ct to receive a clamp or other device for holding the arms in their closed position, or they may be held in such position by one hand of the operator. The other ends of these semicircular arms are formed with eyes a', through which pass the screws or other means B, which are held in the enlarged end o of the arm C, which extends within the space inclosed by the curved portions of the arms.

D is the operating-lever, formed at one end with a handle portion CZ and with an elongated slot CZ', through which passes a thumb-screw or analogous means E into the free end of the arm C, serving as a pivot upon which the operating-lever may move, and by adjustment of the thumb-screw in the slot the position of the knife with relation to the center of the space inclosed by the curved arms may be adjusted. The lever D has an enlargement D', provided with a vertical slot D2, in which is located the cutter F, held therein removably by suitable means, as a screw Gr.

Vith the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forth the operation will be readily understood, and, briefly stated, is as follows: The arms A A are applied about the top of the can and there securely held either by a clamp or by one hand of the operator, who with the other hand manipulates the lever D, pressing downward thereupon and moving it upon its pivot so as to cut the head of the can. After the same has been cut the arms are disengaged from the canbody and the device removed.

The simplicity of the invention, as Well as its ease of operation, will be readily appreciated and will recommend it to those having occasion to use such devices.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is- The improved can-opener herein described, comprising two clamps each substantially semicircular in form with extensions at one end provided with hooks, the arm extending Within the space inclosed by the semicircular arms and having its outer end pivotally connected with the adjacent ends of said arms,

SETI-I A. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. FISHER, T. R. SHIELDS.

IOO 

